Bolzano Day 2: America’s Dahlia Takes Two Wins

22ND INTERNATIONAL SWIMMEETING SÜDTIROL IN BOLZANO

• Saturday, November 3rd – Sunday, November 4th
• Bolzano, Italy
• SCM
• Meet Site
• Start List
• Day 1 Recap
• Live Stream

America’s Kelsi Dahlia doubled up on her 50m fly victory from day 1 with another fly win in the 100m sprint tonight while competing in Bolzano. Stopping the clock at 55.98, Dahlia edged out fellow American Kendyl Stewart, who finished this 100m fly race in 56.79 for silver.

Italian racer Elena Di Liddo was also in the top of the pack and finished with the bronze in 58.47, meaning the same trio of swimmers from last night’s 50m fly all finished in their same slots tonight.

Dahlia has been as fast as 54.84 already this season, a time that checked in as the FINA World Cup Series Record as well as the American Record.

The former Louisville Cardinal scored another win by way of the women’s 50m freestyle during the session. Dahlia earned the only sub-25 second time of the field in 24.51, while Team Elite’s Lia Neal took silver in 25.09. Italian speedster Erika Ferraioli was next in line with 25.10, just .01 behind Neal.

On the men’s side, German Marius Kusch got the job done in the 100 fly, crushing a winning time of 50.86. He also won the 50m fly last night. Kusch’s effort tonight now positions him as the 8th fastest swimmer in the world this season.

Finishing in silver was Italian Piero Codia who touched in 52.36, while Daniel Zaitsev of Estonia rounded out the top 3 in 53.22.

Kusch followed the ways of Dahlia by also taking the men’s edition of the 50m free. Kusch stopped the clock in 21.99, a monster personal best for the German. His previous career-fastest came at this same meet last year when he registered a time of 22.45.

Michael Chadwick of the stars n’ stripes took silver in 22.06, while Marco Orsi finished with the bronze in 22.23.

Newly-minted meet record setter from yesterday’s 100m back race, Kathleen Baker of the United States was back to her winning ways this evening, taking the 50m backstroke sprint. Hitting the wall in 27.54, Baker represented the only swimmer of the field to delve under the 28-second threshold.

Italian Margherita Panziera finished in 28.03 for silver, while American Record holder in this event, Ali DeLoof, took bronze in 28.23.

Baker was back in the pool a short time later to contest the 100m breaststroke final. She performed with a solid 1:07.49 for bronze, while Martina Carraro and Maria Romanchuk surged to the wall ahead of the American.

Carraro clocked 1:06.78 while Romanchuk took silver in 1:07.24. For perspective, Carraro holds the LCM Italian National Record in this event in 1:06.41.

Following up on their dual from yesterday in the 50m breast, Fabio Scozzoli and Nicolo Martinenghi raced in the 100m sprint tonight, with Scozzoli earning the edge. Touching in 58.07, Scozzoli threw down the gold medal-garnering time, but falls shy of the top 10 outings in the world this season.

Martinenghi, who is racing in his first meet since sitting out this season with a groin injury, finished in a respectable 58.65. Lachezar Shumkov was well behind the pair in 1:00.06 for bronze.